girl at large

alarm

wine + sappy movie + ex-boyfriend's email address= big touble. oh boy.

this is a frightening age. i always thought the cliches were just that , cliches---but you just wait unitl you wake up in the middle of the night--"what's that noise?"

tick tock tick tock.

oh, F*&% that's my biological clock.

shut it off! shut it off!!

when in doubt, always blame the equipment

Ryan in the kitchen, Ruby waiting for something to drop on the floor.

we picked up some Bisquick with the dvd rentals thinking that pancakes make a good rainy day dinner. and also that it's something Ryan can make. or so i thought.

i noticed that the packaging had been changed, Ryan dismissed it. that oversight came to haunt him later.

after showing him where to find the metric measurement translations and the variety of US and Euro measuring devices, i left him to it. popping my head in later, i find him in a state---a frenzy over how "Crappy that piece of shit pan you gave me is!". um, ok..that's our best pancake pan. wait a minute, isn't that batter a bit too thin? "I followed the damn instructions, I got the measurements right! That's the worst pan ever!!"

quick glance at the back of the box. um, WHICH directions did you follow? "Right there, for pancakes!! I'm not a moron!" "It's that crappy pan!"

ok, ok, deep breath: um, i think you may have to follow the directions for AMERICAN PANCAKES, right down here at the bottom. you've been making crepes.

"oh."

damn crepey pan.

zones

it's been raining cats and dogs all day. we rented four dvd's to see us through--at the rate of 4.50euro each for one day. even the English goods store has to make a buck i suppose. i have four other DVD's, all still in plastic, unwatchable because the DVD player is Zone 2 (Europe) and the gifts, thoughtful as they were, are Zone 1 (USA). who came up with that brilliant plan?

the day was rounded out nicely when Ryan's Dad called. it's just not the same without his daily inquiry--"So like, what time is it there now?"

tease me all you like, but don't mess with my dog...

Dog Camp is not for losers! i'm looking forward to going sometime when Ruby and i are stateside again next year, no matter what Ryan says!

at least it's not Manners Camp. or maybe it is..Manners for Dogs anyway.

geez, maybe i do need another hobby. or a job. or a boyfriend. or all of the above. come on Ruby, time for our walk...

it's the little things...

the slower pace of life here is a good thing, but too much of even a good thing can be just too much...for example, the highlight of my day today? the 4-slice package of sandwich chicken we picked up for lunch today had an unexpected 5th slice. yippee!

good lord, think i need to be working again? maybe.

Is it the Civil War or is it Maybelline?

we went to see the original (read: English) version of Cold Mountain last night. now, it's been a long time since i've seen a movie, but i think i recall the basic concepts. all apologies to handsome (and talented) Jude Law and Renee Zellweger who did the best she could with what she had, but that movie was painfully long and at times, laughable. 'The Dukes of Hazard' had more believable (and consistent) southern accents. and i loathe love storylines based on nothing but intense eye contact and southern belle heavy breathing. i've got a 1-900 phone number for that if i want it.

and who wears LIPLINER when they're impoverished and starving?!?

poor guys, they think we really do that....

Miss Dawn at this year's SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival.

ah, i miss the girls. i was 'ichat-ing' with both Miss Dawn (in Savannah, GA) and Miss Kristan (in Santa Monica, CA) today when Ryan popped in, saw the screen and wondered if i was having a 'three-way'. ha ha, very witty. next time, we'll get Miss Sony online and have ourselves a cyber-pillow fight. how girly!

tickets please

Ryan marvels at the size of the tickets--they do resemble airplane tickets. i'd never thought of it before.

we went to Cannes, just to do the 'been there, done that' thing---on the way, Ryan learned the train routine and that indeed it is true that every single time i step on, the ticket inspectors know it and come sniffing for a violation....

where in the world is Tishie Mae?

i'm not the only one that was thrown by mom's announcement that she and Bert (aboard Tishie Mae) were in "Andorra"...i even asked her to spell it for me, that's what she gave me i swear. i KNOW they were in a small harbor town on the Italian coast just across the border...i wonder does she know that "Andorra" is an inland principality, near Spain?

update: i found it! it's Andora! one "R"! voila, je l'ai trouve!

mistaken identity, again

something always gets lost in the translation when frenchie folks ask about Ruby---i speak french to them, english to her of course ("Elle ne parle pas francais." always gets a smile)..and after a few affectionate pats they leave believing her name is either 'Heel' or in today's example 'Sit'...

Tishie Mae update

mom called tonight---she and Bert are in Andorra, a town in Italy just 50 miles away--they've had to stay there a few days to repair a problem with the rudder, but already mom is love with Italy--a few quotes:

"The woman are fat!!" "They've got boobs and hips!"
"The kids make noise and the moms yell at them to shut up!" (frenchie kids are eerily well behaved and silent.)
"There's alot to be said for smiles!" (frenchies are notoriously straight-faced.)

i think my prediction was correct--fairly soon she'll be moving to Italy. for now, they are happy to be heading further down the coast, rudder repaired, tomorrow morning.

sold!

Pomodoro restaurant down rue Migrainier

i sold More Boats (Left) today! it was one of the ones hanging in the Pomodora restaurant, and it's gone to a good home with lovely Miss Lucy, an artist herself (and furniture designer!) currently working on the boats who treated herself to the painting she loves for her 30th birthday--how appropriate.

easel update

Rue III, acrylic and oil pastel on paper, 19.75" x 25.75"

back in the day, again

we're getting so Retro-80's Ethiopia is starving again.

next thing you know, Flock of Seagulls will be making a come-back tour. oh my god,---they are!

Bon Voyage!

Mom and Bert depart after months of preparation and a week of waiting out the weather

they're off! Mom and Uncle Bert left this morning for the big adventure down the Italian coast. Tishie Mae will be put to the test, as will the limits of siblinghood i'm certain. they will both be missed--what will i do without mom's artistic critiques? and those witty Bert-isms? i'm expecting weekly phone call updates--i shall keep you posted as to their whereabouts and progress.

watercolor sketchbook

old town study, Grace, rue study

i've been studying watercolor techniques---it's a medium i previously thought fiddly and 'grandma sunday painter'-ish, but the more i work with it and the more i read, the more i respect it and am enjoying what it can do---the clarity of color is well suited for the light here in the spring...we'll see where it goes from here....

foot-in-mouth disease

Ryan's been here all of three days and already Mom has managed to tell him that he's fat, he smells funny and he sleeps too much. wee!

gee, wonder where i get my own saying-what-i-think-out-loud fault from?

house guest

a get-to-know-you session for Ryan, Mom and Bert

Ryan is getting settled in well, already using French phrases, unpacking the steamer trunks he brought and emerging from his "jet lag denial".

Bon Anniversaire!

Happy Birthday Uncle Bert!

he said it

today's Bert-ism: "The world's a big place."

nothing says spring like sugar-coated marshmallow...

Happy Easter!

can't find any Peeps here, bummer.

out the window

Bert takes Ruby for a walk, i haven't killed mom's flowers yet....

stock i wish i'd been able to buy

i'm so jealous. mom's had Krispy Kreme doughnuts in London.

bon appetit

London Eye
while Mom is up in London visiting Peg, i've been called upon to make sure Bert gets fed each night...and i'm seeing that perhaps i should be more appreciative of mom's culinary capabilities...no disasters yet, but there was something dodgy about the pork roast tonight...

...only time will tell....

bienvenue!

milk in a box, mayo in a tube, Ryan in a sling

Ryan arrives a week from today--yippee! he's bringing an assortment of American goodies per mom's request...tootsie rolls, Bensen&Hedges, a People magazine or two--all the staples of a happy life.

it will be interesting to see American packaging again--i've become so accustomed to mayonnaise that comes in tubes, coffee in thimbles, sugar in sticks, milk in boxes and so on.

have hammer, will hang

More Boats Left, Windows, and Two Blue Boats, the three pieces that i've just hung in a little local pizzeria. yeah!

Haut de Cagnes II, watercolor and oil pastel on paper, 31" x 42"